Beloved Stephen King Horror Classic Now Streaming On Max

Screen Geek

13-05-2025

With Max's connection to the Warner Bros. library, subscribers can often find a majority of titles from the studio's library available to stream on Max. Of course, streaming can become a complicated web of licensing issues, so certain titles frequently come and go. Now one such title – a beloved horror classic based on the works of Stephen King – is now streaming on Max.
This particular title was one of the earliest feature films to be based on a Stephen King novel. With a release date of 1980, it helped establish the hype for many King adaptations that followed. Of course, very few of those films have a reputation as bold and memorable as this effort from one of Hollywood's greatest directors.
Perhaps most interestingly, however, is that Stephen King himself is notably not a fan of this adaptation. While die-hard fans may agree with King, given that the film takes several liberties with his original novel, numerous film fans, critics, and casual viewers generally agree that this film is a recognizable classic.
The film, titled The Shining , was initially considered a flop in 1980. It even received two nominations at the first Razzies in 1981. Nevertheless, it has proven itself to be a powerhouse example of a horror film, with its unique cast and setting consistently being referenced to this day.
For those unfamiliar, The Shining revolves around Jack Nicholson's Jack Torrance who takes on a job as a caretaker for a remote hotel in Colorado. The location, titled the Overlook Hotel, seems to have a psychic hold on Jack including a number of supernatural spirits that haunt him and his son, Danny, played by young child actor Danny Lloyd. The late Shelley Duvall plays Jack's Wife, Wendy, who gives a stunning performance as a woman whose whole world is burning down around them.
While it may not have the same characterizations as the original novel, and certain sequences have been altered or removed completely, director Stanley Kubrick did so to create what many consider to be an exquisite example of Hollywood filmmaking. Hopefully Stephen King fans can enjoy revisiting the horror film on Max, and for those newcomers, hopefully they can appreciate The Shining so many decades later just like its other fans.